Computing-machine.



w. WRIGHT.

COMPUTING-MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28.1910

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Patented July 2,

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W. WRIGHT.

COMPUTING MACHlNE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28.1910

Patented July 2,1918.

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WALTER WRIGHT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO'UNDERWOOD COMPUTING- MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COMPUTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1918.

Application filed July 28, 1910. Serial No. 574,223.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VVALTER l/VRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Computing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to computing machines, as disclosed in co-pending application No. 554,452, filed April 9, 1910, and in co-pending application No.l 543,603, filed jointly by Gustave O. Degener and myself, February 12, 1910, in which the computing wheels are power-driven, while the extent of their rotation is controlled by a set of numeral keys, which operate an escapement mechanism that is connected to the computing-wheel train.

The movement of the escapement wheel and the computing wheel train in very quick, and the impetus gathered by said wheel and said train is very great, especially where the movement is considerable, as for instance in adding 8 or 9. The sudden arrest of the rapidly moving train tends to make the machine noisy, and also to make the parts wear rapidly.

The principal object of the present improvements is toovercome these objections, and to this end I connect to the computing wheel train, at a suitable point, a centriftugally acting brake, which serves to prevent unduly rapid rotation of the escapement wheel and other parts.

In the accompanying drawings, h

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the present improvements applied to a combined computing and typewriting machine, as shown in said pending applications.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation ofthe brake mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the same.

So far as the present improvements are concerned, the escapement or index wheel may be controlled in a variety of ways. For the sake of illustration, there is shownin the drawings a controlling mechanism which is disclosed in my pending United States application No. 554,452, filed April 9, 1910, and which in many respects is substantially like my PatentNo. 1,162,730, dated N ovember 30, 1915, although this mechanism forms no part of the present invention.

Keys 1 are mounted on levers 2, which by means of links 3 operate bell cranks 4; and the latter, through links 5, rock the levers 6, the latter having on their ends cams 7 to swing and engage escapement pins 8, to cause the latter to project from an index or valuating wheel 9, on which they are mounted; a band coiled spring 10 surrounding the circular set of index pins which serve as escapement members, and engaging grooves 11 in said pins to hold the latter in either normal or projected positions.

As also set forth in said applications and patent, the projected index or escapement pin 8 engages a pinion 12, which is fixed to a secondary escapement wheel 13, the latter controlled by dogs 14, 15. The inner end of each of the levers 6 operates a universal disk 16, which rocks a lever 17, and through a link 18 and arm 19 rocks a shaft 20, upon which the dogs 14, 15 are fixed; the parts being returned to normal positions by a spring 21 coiled about a stem 22 upon which the universal disk 16 is mounted.

The key levers 2 are connected at 23 to bell cranks 24, which swing type bars 25 upwardly and rearwardly to strike a platen 26, as is usual in the Underwood typewriting machine illustrated.

The power to drive the adding wheels is supplied by a constantly revolving motor 27, which, by means of any suitable brake or friction clutch connection produces a constant torque, upon a shaft 28. This may be done by means of a centrifugal brake or clutch 29 working in a friction ring 30 carried by said shaft 28. To the latter is connected by gears 31 and 32 a shaft 33, which carries at' oneend a bevel pinion 34, meshingwith a bevel .pinion 35, the latter fixed upon a gear 36 which meshes with a pinion 37 upon a shaft. 38 whichcarries the index a bevel pinion 44, to mesh with a bevel pin- .ion 45 upon a horizontal shaft 46, which 1 are operated to print the figures and feed the carriage 54. It will be seen from the foregoing, that whenever any key 1 is depressed, the dogs 14, are rocked and the secondary escapement wheel 13 is permitted to escape, and the previously projected index orescapement pin .8 vslips past the 'pinion 12, permitting the index wheel 9 to rotate until the newly set index pin 8 comes into engagement with the pinion 12, bringing the next arm on the secondary escapement wheel 13 into engagement with the dog 14,"which will prevent further rotation of theindex or valuating wheel 9. This gives anextent of rotationofthe index or valuating wheel 9, and hence of the master wheel 47 corresponding with the value of the numeral key I struck. The features above described in detail form no part of the present invention, but are described and claimed in said patent and pending applications. v

While Ishow the present improvements inconnection with the above-described train of power-driven escapement Wheels, still it 5 will be understood that they may be applied to other forms of escapement wheels for computing devices.

Within a cup or depression 55, preferably formed inthe'index wheel'9, plays a brake comprising segmentsor weights 60, carried on spring arms'61', the latter fixed upon a hub 62'which is loose upon the shaft 38 of the escapment or index wheelI9. To said hub is fixed a pinion 68, which is drivenby a gear 64, the latter fixed upon a shaft 65 having at its other end a bevel pinion 66' to meshwith-a bevel pinion 67 'on the shaft 40. The described'train'of gearing causes the hub 62,'carrying the brake segments .60,

torotate in the opposite direction from the I I v I 1 r anlsm, including a'dl iveshaft', and an es index wheel '9.

Owing to the provision'of the movement-- multiplying gearing 64, '63, the segments 6O arecausedjto rotatevery rapidly during the rotation of the index orlescape nentwheel 9 andithecomputinggwheel train, and the seg= ments or "shoes 60'fly out and engage thei'nner'wvall of the cup-like depression :55 in the escapement wheel, and act as a brake; to

retard the rotation of the'latten- The parts may be so proportioned that this retarding effect is not I felt 'until the escap'ement wheel acquires a. high speed of "rotation, sothat when small numbers, such as 1 and2 i are added, the index or'escapement wheel Having thus described my invention, I.

trolsaid 'escapement wheel, of a centrifugally-operating brake to engage saidescapement wheel, and movement-multiplying gearing connecting said train to said brake to cause the latter to rotate in opposition to said escapement wheel at allmovements of the. latter. Y

'3. In a:comp uting machine, the combination with 'a train-of rotary computing mechanism, includinga drive shaft,-and an escapement wheel geared to-said driveshaft, of key-operated means to controlsaid escapement wheel, a gear oonnectedto said drive shaft, a pinionmeshing with said-gear, and

e a centrifugal brake to bear upon-said escapement-wheel and connected-to said pinion to be rotated at=higher speed than said drive shaft andin-the opposite direction from saidescapement wheel.

4. In a computing machine,'the combination with a train of rotary computlng mech capement wheel geared to said drive shaft, of

key-operated means to controlsaid escapement wheel, a gear connected to said drive shaft, a pinion meshing with'said gear, and a centrifugal brake to bear upon said 16S- capement wheel and connected to said-pinion' to be rotated at higher speed than-said drive shaft and in the opposite direction from said escapement wheel, the latter having a cuppo rtio'n within which said brake works.= i j 5. In a computing; machine, the combination; with a train of computing mechanism,

of" a rotary escapement wheel therefor checked by a brake revolving in the opposite direction only when the wheel reaches a high speed of rotation, but operating without opposition from the brake for short movements of the Wheel, the brake being constantly driven by said train during all movements of the latter.

6. In a computing mechanism, the combination with a variably movable powerdriven key controlled index wheel movable always in one direction, variable amounts of intermittently operated means dependent upon the movement of said wheel for checking the latter only at the major movements thereof.

7. In a computing machine, a set of computing wheels, an index wheel variously movable to determine the amount of operation of said computing wheels, a shaft on which the index wheel is mounted, a pinion on said shaft by which the index wheel is driven, a gear having a connection to said pinion, a second pinion in mesh with said gear and loose on said shaft, and a centrifugal braking device connected to the second pinion to be rotated thereby in an opposite direction from said index wheel.

8. An index wheel having a hollow on each side, one to surround the bearing in which it revolves, and the other to receive a centrifugal brake and having a perforated periphery for the index pins.

9. The combination of an index wheel, key-controlled means for operating the same, a source of power for rotating said wheel, said wheel having a cup or depression, a centrifugal brake rotating in said cup or depression, a pinion connected to said brake, and a movementanultiplying gear meshing with said pinion and comiected to the means whereby the index wheel is rotated.

10. The combination of an index wheel, key controlled means for operating the same, a source of power for rotating said Wheel, said wheel having a cup or depression, a centrifugal brake rotating in said cup or depression, a pinion connected to said brake, and a movement-multiplying gear meshing with said pinion and connected to the means whereby the index wheel. is rotated, to cause the brake to rotate in the opposite direction from the index wheel.

11. In a computing machine, the combination with a master wheel and a brake therefor, of an index or escapement wheel having an internal periphery to receive said brake, and a train of gearing to turn said wheel, said brake driven by some member of the train.

12. In a computing machine, the combination with a master wheel and an expanding brake, of an index or escapement wheel having an internal periphery to receive said expanding brake, and a train of gearing to turn said wheel, said brake driven by some member of the train, the brake being driven in the opposite direction from the index Wheel and at higher speed.

13. In a computing machine, an index or escapement wheel moving during the computing operation and arrested to terminate the computing operation, a centrifugal brake for said wheel driven in the opposite direction and at considerably higher speed, and a train of gearing connecting said escapement wheel and said brake.

14. In a computing machine, the combination with an index or escapement wheel and a train of gearing to drive said wheel, of means for arresting said wheel to terminate the computation, a brake effective only at high speeds to slow down said escapement wheel when it exceeds a given speed, and gearing for driving said brake to turn it in the opposite direction from said escapement wheel.

15. In a computing machine, the combination With an index or escapement wheel, of means for arresting said escapement wheel to terminate a computation, and a brake geared to said escapement wheel and positively driven so as to tend to turn said escapement wheel in the opposite direction when the escapement wheel reaches excessive speed, said brake forming part of the train of computing mechanism close to the escapement wheel.

16. In a computing machine, the combination with an index wheel and computing wheels adapted to be turned variable amounts scrim/i171 by variably turning said index wheel, of a drive shaft for said index wheel, means for exerting a torque on said drive shaft, and a brake automatically effective on said index wheel to tend to arrest it when said torque is effective on it long enough to give it an excessive speed.

17. In a computing machine, the combination with an index wheel and computing wheels adapted to be turned variable amounts serz'atim by variably turning said index wheel, of a drive shaft for said index wheel, and a bra-king member adapted to bear against said index wheel and driven by said shaft in the direction opposite to said index wheel, said braking member effective only when said index wheel turns at excessive speed.

18. In a computing machine, the combination of a power driving device for said machine, an index wheel, means connecting said index wheel to said power driving device to turn said wheel in one direction to govern the extent of computation, and a friction brake, comprising members positively driven to tend to turn said wheel in the opposite direction when the speed of said wheel is excessive.

19. The combination with a series of computing wheels, of indexing mechanism for driving saidcomputing Wheels variable amounts to efiect computingoperations, a power drive efi ective on said mechanism, obstructing means for abruptly terminating the driving action .01": said indexing D16Cl1flnism, and thereby determining the .extent of movement of said computing Whee1s,.and an automatic brake operating on saidindexing mechanism to maintain thespeed. of drive of said computing Wheels by saidindexing mechanism below a destructive speed during a driving action, before an. obstructing action.

20. The combination with a computing mechanism, of a positive drive forsaid computing lmechanism, a slip connection between said positive drive and said computing mechanism, normally slipping, but adapted to stop slipping and drive said mechanism, means for positively andsuddenly arresting the computing ,mechanism, and a friction'brake actingonsaid,computing mechanism on the, computing.mechanism sidev of said slipconnection, and automatically effective to slow said mechanism at a predetermined speed.

' W'ALTER WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

C. RIPLEY, RALPH S. VIARFIE D.

Copies of this patent may he qhtained forfive cents each, by addressing the cqmmc Ss ioner, of Patents,

Washington, 1). G3 

